The Steering Committee of the IUCN Commission on Education and Communication (CEC) held its annual planning meeting in Goa, India from March 8-10, 2023. An outcome of this meeting is an updated Work Plan that will run from now until the next IUCN World Conservation Congress to take place between September and November 2025.

The Work Plan lays out the proposed key work of the Commission and articulates a vision for maximizing the impact of our collective action. We have designed this Work Plan to be ambitious, to create synergies with the IUCN Secretariat, other Commissions, and IUCN’s Members. We aspire to create new tools, new events and new opportunities for each of you to engage more meaningfully in our work. We strongly encourage you to take some time to read it here and share your feedback.

CMS VATAVARAN in collaboration with CEC, and inspired by #NatureForAll, organised the first Film Festival & Forum on LiFE (Lifestyle For Environment) in the state of Goa, India from 5th - 7th March 2023. The festival took place over three days with a robust and captivating program including film screenings, insightful panel discussions, student visits, and a MOJO Film Making Workshop. You can learn more about this exciting event here. Do you run a Film Festival in your community? If so, let us know!

Mr. Sam Dindi, CEC member from Kenya and CEC Excellence Award Winner 2019, invites you to read the 22nd edition of the Mazingira Yeti Magazine. This excellent publication offers valuable insights, elegant environmental solutions created by local communities, as well as tools and innovative approaches to beat plastic pollution. This edition delves into the question whether technological and innovative responses to waste management are a legitimate substitute for the much-needed behavioural change at the community level. Enjoy Mazingira Yeti here.

CEC and #NatureForAll invite you to a Dialogue on “Educational Online Programs at Zoos and Aquariums – What Can We Do? A case study on conservation from Japan”, organized by CEC East Asia. Explore with our speaker Dr. Kanako Tomisawa from Omuta City Zoo, Japan, case studies of online educational programs developed with schools and broadcasted on YouTube.  We hope to see you on June 11th at 8PM Beijing and Ulaanbaatar / 9PM Tokyo and Seoul / 8AM New York / 1PM London. Space is limited, so register early in this link.

You are invited to submit your films and be part of the 12th CMS VATAVARAN International Film Festival and Forum on Environment & Wildlife to be held in February 2024 in India. Environment and wildlife filmmakers, amateurs, animators, student filmmakers are invited to submit films in eight different areas in Indian and International categories. All the films will be evaluated on the basis of their ability to communicate our care for the environment through compelling storytelling. More info on the Festival and how to submit your work can be found here.

In 2023, IUCN is launching a new open call for proposals of the Resilient, Inclusive and Sustainable Environments (RISE) grants challenge.  The RISE grants challenge aims to fund projects that address gender-based violence that is occurring within and linked to environment and climate-related sectors. Join us on June 6 at 9am (EST) for an information session that will provide more guidance for those interested in applying to the RISE grants challenge. Find more info here.

We are excited to share 3 inspirational resources that you can find in the #NatureForAll Discovery Zone. We invite you to use them in your work! You can find all the resources in the Discovery Zone here. Please - remember to share your resources in the Discovery Zone to help make the world a better place.

The Spoon-billed Sandpiper Teaching Kit provides school teachers and education leaders with information about wetlands and how to engage students to learn about Spoon-billed Sandpiper. It provides various indoor and outdoor activities and teaching materials to design effective and fun lessons. Find this wonderful teaching kit here.

Nature Canada offers a journal and activity book to support junior birders learn about birds, how to identify them, and what you can do to protect birds in their neighborhood. Check this resource here.

This lesson on ornithology focuses on science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) with six activities touching on engineering, math, art and technology, exploring what birds eat, how they make their nests and learning how to help endangered birds. It is fun and informative and can be found here.